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Old 07-26-2009, 04:47 PM
SuperB23 SuperB23 is offline
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Thumbs up A Review of My Mayes Acoustic Guitar

After putting 150+ hours of playing time on my new Mayes SD-43. I wanted to write a review. I did the review in the same format as Harmony Centrals reviews.

This guitar was ordered for me to be my ultimate dream guitar/lifetime instrument. It was my first time for Brazilian Rosewood, and my first time ordering a solo luthier acoustic guitar. The brazilian rosewood upgrade was a gift from my wife for our anniversary.

Here is a video of the guitar. Just messing around a little bit with it to give you an idea of what it sounds like.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNvd7Ci3Ncg





Mayes SD-43 Review

Features: This guitar was built by John Mayes, who builds custom handmade acoustic guitars and electric guitars. He has in the past worked for and built guitars for Bourgeois and McPherson. His models are modeled after vintage Gibson guitars. My guitar is his version of an early 40’s late 30’s prewar slope shouldered Gibson dread like and AJ or J-45. It has an Adirondack Top and beautiful Brazilian Rosewood back and sides all solid construction. It has Adirondack Spruce bracing constructed with Hide glue. It has a ebony bridge and fretboard with bone nut and saddle. It has Abalone Top purfling and rosette with flamed maple binding on the top back and neck. 25.5 Scale length with 1 3/4" nut width. It has gold Waverly tuners with ebony buttons. It has a solid carved Honduras mahogany neck. The overall guitar is very lightly built weighing in at 4.6 LBS. It also has a D-Tar Wavelength pick up installed with Volume and Tone controls in the sound hole. I also ordered it with a Calton Case.


Sound: The sound of this guitar is unbelievable!! After owning multiple high end guitars including 8 Santa Cruz guitars, McPherson, Martins, Gibsons, and Breedloves!! I have also played and demoed multiple Collings, Bourgeois, Goodalls, McPhersons and a bunch of nice vintage Martins at shops and I’ve got to say this guitar is right at the top of the bunch!!!! It is the best guitar I have ever owned or played!!!! It is amazingly responsive if you touch the bridge its like touching a microphone that is turned up through a PA system!!! The guitar has a great balanced loud tone and it will thump your chest if you get into it enough. It will pretty much handle anything you can through at it from heavy strumming to soft fingerpicking. All the way around this is the best sounding guitar I have ever heard!!!

Plugged in it sounds really good and natural through my LR Baggs PADI. It can handle fairly loud volumes well through big PA systems.


Action, Fit, & Finish: The guitar was setup well with 12’s at my request and it plays very well with no issues that I can see all the way up the neck.

After getting out my trusty fine tooth comb and really thoroughly looking this entire guitar over inside and out, I cannot find a single issue each purfling line looks perfect. Inside the guitar is very clean. The headstock, neck and tuners look very nice and stylish. The finish is very shiny but not too thick!!! The wood selections for the top and back woods are amazing or should I say aMayesing!! The only thing I would change on this guitar is I wish the maple binding was a little lighter colored more white and less beige.


Reliability/Durability: Only time will tell I guess. The Calton case should help greatly with this since it is built like a tank.


Customer Support: John Mayes has been great to work with through out the whole project keeping in good contact with pictures and detailed questions. I have heard from others that if there is a problem he will make it right for the lifetime of the original owner.


Overall Rating: This guitar is really the best I have ever played all the way around!!!! I will be ordering another Mayes guitar if possible!!! As you can probably tell I highly recommend Mayes guitars. Anyone else who has one on order from John is in for a real treat! I'm ready to order another one now!!!!!! www.mayesguitars.com

Here are some quality pictures from the builder.














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Last edited by SuperB23; 01-06-2010 at 09:37 PM. Reason: More hours but I stand by this review!!
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Old 07-26-2009, 05:00 PM
66strummer 66strummer is offline
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That guitar must have some seriously excellent (scalloped?) bracing in it . Wow! I would call that a Cannon.....and then some! Sounds fantastic, Bobby! How light is it (weight)? You got yourself a great one!

Oh, and nice playing as well!

Last edited by 66strummer; 07-26-2009 at 09:49 PM.
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Old 07-26-2009, 05:14 PM
SuperB23 SuperB23 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 66strummer View Post
That guitar must have some seriously excellent (scalloped?) bracing in it . Wow! I would call that a Cannon.....and then some! Sounds fantastic, Bobby! How light is it (weight)? You got yourself a great one!

Yeah it is a beast!!!!! Very powerful.

John told me 4.6 LBS by comparison the McPhersons he built were around 6-7 LBS.
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Old 07-26-2009, 05:39 PM
rlouie rlouie is offline
 
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freakin gorgeous guitar and it sounds even better!!!!!!!! you gotta a keeper there Bobby!!!!! don't let that baby go............
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Old 07-26-2009, 05:54 PM
66strummer 66strummer is offline
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I subscribed to your Ytube, Bobby. Enjoy the stuff you post......



Quote:
Originally Posted by rlouie View Post
freakin gorgeous guitar and it sounds even better!!!!!!!! you gotta a keeper there Bobby!!!!! don't let that baby go............

Louie....

I'll bet your Stanford Furch D5 (I always forget the model #) sounds a little like that?
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Old 07-26-2009, 06:49 PM
tpp tpp is offline
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Thanks for posting the review. It sounds like you have a winner!
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Old 07-26-2009, 07:44 PM
EucalyptusMint EucalyptusMint is offline
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Wow! It looks and sounds fantastic
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Old 07-26-2009, 08:31 PM
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beautiful guitar, nice pickin too congrats
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Old 07-26-2009, 08:59 PM
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Diamondave Diamondave is offline
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That would make me sweat....
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Old 07-27-2009, 05:55 AM
K III K III is offline
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Bobby,

great guitar, great sound, great review! (I am not talking about the playing, because then I am getting jealous)

Was just wondering why you videotaped your face instead of the guitar while playing

Karl
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Old 07-27-2009, 05:58 AM
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Brent Hutto Brent Hutto is offline
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In the words of the immortal Brian May...

Fat bottomed girls,
You make the rockin' world go round.
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Old 07-27-2009, 07:05 AM
underfoot underfoot is offline
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Amazing stuff

I'm very impressed
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Old 07-27-2009, 09:45 AM
JohnM JohnM is offline
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Thanks for the nice words Bobby. Sounds like I hit my mark. I'm thrilled you enjoy it.
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  #14  
Old 07-27-2009, 11:46 AM
SuperB23 SuperB23 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by K III View Post
Bobby,

great guitar, great sound, great review! (I am not talking about the playing, because then I am getting jealous)

Was just wondering why you videotaped your face instead of the guitar while playing

Karl
I'm new to the whole video you tube thing and I use the built in camera on my 24" IMAC so it is hard to position it right and still be able to reach mouse while I record! I had to laugh at myself because I look like a dork when I play fast stuff because I always open my mouth! I really wanted people to be able to hear the guitar being played a few different ways with a pick and without and with the capo. Try to listen more than watch.

Thanks for taking the time to read the review and watch the video.

Thanks John Mayes for building me one heck of a guitar!!!!!
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  #15  
Old 07-27-2009, 02:07 PM
Glennwillow Glennwillow is online now
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Bobby,

Gorgeous guitar, great review. I even like the maple binding just as it is! Thanks so much for sharing this experience with the rest of us. I feel as if I had ordered this guitar myself.

Regards and congratulations!
- Glenn
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